This is reprinted from The Irish Catholic, September 7, 2006. Author is Michael Kelly.

The Church's new Board on Child Protection is "working vigorously" a spokesman for the Chairman of the Board Mr Justice Anthony Hederman, has insisted, despite renewed media speculation that the implementation of the child protection policy has been delayed. A report in The Irish News claimed that the Church leaders have been "slow to act" on the issue of child protection.

However, Fr Tim Bartlett, speaking with the permission of Mr Justice Hederman, told The Irish Catholic that the "board is in place and has met quite a number of times, and is continuing its work."

He said that there are a number of outstanding issues delaying the setting-up of the new Child Protection Office, citing "a number of duties as employers to existing staff from the two child protection offices." He said "until these matters are completed the issue of employing staff for a new office cannot be progressed".

Despite this delay, he said: "the board has been working very vigorously since it was established in May in order to ensure that these matters can be progressed as rapidly as possible.

The Irish Catholic first reported in June about concerns over a delay in plans to launch the National Board and the National Office to operate the Church's policy Our Children, Our Church. At the time, Mr Justice Anthony Hederman, the Chair of the Child Protection Board, angrily rejected claims that there had been a delay despite the fact that the names of the members of the Board had not been announced.

Responding to queries about the delay in announcing the names of the members of the Child Protection Board, Fr Bartlett said that it his understanding that the members of the Board "would prefer to wait until they have new staff in place to support communication enquiries before they announce the board." He said that in the meantime the board is "consulting widely with people on the issues involved".

Michael Kelly

© The Irish Catholic